Sphynx Cat Buying Guide: Price and Cost Explained

Sphynx cats are the friendliest, adorable, and sweetest cats you will ever have. They are also highly intelligent and attention seekers. They want to adhere to their owner as much as they can and love them unconditionally. Sphynx Cats are the specific breed of cats that are known for their “Hairlessness”(lack of fur on their Body)due to genetic mutation. Unlike other cat breeds, they are quite extrovert, energetic, and affectionate towards their owners.

So, if you are planning to get one Sphynx cat for yourself, you’ll need to invest a handsome amount of capital for that as they are quite expensive. The average cost of Sphynx cats can vary from 1500$-3000$. This range is for Standard Pedigree Sphynx Cat(Novice Breeder). For Quality Breeders(Experienced Breeders) the price range is 3000$-6000$ and for breeding and Highly rare colored Sphynx cats, the price can go up to 10000$.

It is evident that the buying price of Sphynx cat is quite high and higher than other Hairless Cat Breeds like Peterbald, Bambino, Minskin, etc…and after owning also, the costs are continuing. So, sometimes people realize that it is difficult to take care of their adorable Sphynx Cat as there are so many costs involved.

There are N number of factors for which Sphynx Costs are costly and need frequent maintenance than other Cat Breeds.

Reasons Why Sphynx Cats Cost too Much

The generic answer behind why Sphynx Cats are costly is due to the mismatch between demand and supply. As Sphynx Cats are quite rare and coveted for their unique look and personality, so demand surpasses supply. As a result, Breeders can easily charge higher prices as the maintenance cost is very high because of their frequent health check-ups and daily care.

A quality breeder will definitely pay for the adorable queen and should be responsible and being responsible means it requires a lot of expenses .

The Responsible Cattery should have tested both the mother and father cats for                                               

1.  Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy(HCM) – 40$-60$
2.  Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) – 60$
3.  Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) –
4.  Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) –      
5. Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD1) – 32$
6. Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome (CMS)
7.  Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) – 36$
8. Feline Upper Respiratory Disease (URD)

 The HCM and PCD Tests are generally expensive as they are done by specialist personnel, not a general Vet. The Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) test is actually a combination of tests that include nasal Nitric Oxide(nNO), High-speed Video Microscopy (HSVM), and Transmission Electron Microscopy(TEM). The HCM test is performed annually. These two tests cost generally 60$ each, so if the breeder is breeding more than one Sphynx Cat, then the cost will start adding up.

Blood group DNA Tests must be done which generally cost 38$

So, the cost of Medical Tests along with their nutritional and basic needs make it one of the expensive Cat Breeds. That’s why the sphynx cats are pretty much expensive than other Hairless Cat Breeds.

In addition to that, many other factors also contribute to the price of Sphynx Cat. The different factors are mentioned in the next subsection under “Breeder Expenses”.

Breeder Expenses

 As we have mentioned earlier that there are multiple expenses involved to breed a Sphynx. Those expenses include things like

1. Cost for Health Checkups and Various Medical Tests
2. Food Cost 
3. Veterinary Care
4. Cat Litter
5. Supplements and essential things for Pregnant Cats
6. Cleaning Equipment
7. Advertising Cost

Male vs Female Sphynx: Which One Should You Buy?

The prices of Sphynx also vary depending on their Gender and Reproductive Capability. Like If you want to buy an unspayed cat, it will cost more than spayed one. Unspayed Female Cats generally cost more regardless of their breed and when it comes to Sphynx Breed, the price will be much higher.

If a female cat is spayed, then it is not going to be of much price difference than their male counterpart.

Amazing Characteristics of Sphynx Cat

Sphynx Cats are generally attention seekers, adorable and they are loyal to the owner. The important features of Sphynx Cats are mentioned below

1. Sphynx Cats are quite extrovert, friendliest, and sweetest.
2. They are quite talkative and often greet their owner when they come home.
3. They sleep under the covers with you & are in your lap any time you sit down.
4. As they are “Hairless Cat”, so they often get dirty because the oil which is secreted on their skin can’t be absorbed properly due to lack of hair which in turn attracts moist, dust, etc…So you need to give a more frequent bath at least once a week with a special soap.
5. Sphynx Cats are muscular and have powerful neck of medium length.
6. They have wedge-shaped heads with prominent cheekbones.
7. Sphynx cats have medium-length Torso, their abdomen is full and round which is also known as “Pot Belly.”

The Lifespan of Sphynx Cats

In general, pedigree cats live fewer years than street cats because their Gene pool is less diverse and more prone to be affected by diseases.

Sphynx Cats are quite a rare breed and quite new, breeding since 1963. The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) granted the Sphynx breed provisional status in 1970 because, at the time, there were serious genetic disorders with the breed, some kittens had died from undiagnosed health problems. So they have a smaller Gene Pool than other Breeds and less resistant to Fatal Genetic Weakness. So, on average, a sphynx cat can live nearly 14 years. Some may live more than 14 years, maybe 15-16 years. Actually, Sphynx breeds are less resistant to disease. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a disease that can happen anytime in his/her lifespan. So you need to perform HCM Test Yearly for early detection of any issues.

Foods for Sphynx Cats

Sphynx Cats have their unique dietary needs to fulfill their natural biological needs.

As Sphynx cats have very little fur on their body so they need a healthy, high-quality, raw diet to maintain their health of the skin. The skin secrets natural, moisturizing oils so if they are not taking High quality, raw diet (Full of Animal Protein), then their skin will compensate that by overproducing oils which can lead to serious skin-related disorder.

Sphynx Breeds are quite Energetic Breeds so your Feline friend needs more energy and because of their “Hairlessness”, they need the energy to keep themselves warm. So a “High-Calorie Diet” is needed to fulfill their needs. Alongside that, a High Protein diet should be present and animal protein must consist of 35%-45% of their daily diet. It is needed because Cat’s Digestive system has developed in such a way so that it could digest Protein more efficiently than Carbs, Fats, etc…

In addition to that plenty of protein and calories, they also need Vitamins and Minerals in their Diet. Those can be obtained from various natural sources like Vegetables, Fruits, Whole Grains, but you have to limit the intake of Carbohydrates. So look for a Balanced Diet where you will get a good amount of Protein, Calories, and other nutrients but fewer carbohydrates. Below we have given some Diet suggestions tailored for Sphynx Cats.

You can make your homemade Raw recipes for your Cat which will help you to save some extra bugs. Below are the suggested breakdown for your Cat’s Diet

1.  75% Chicken Breast, Thighs (Thighs are little bit fattier than Breast ). Chicken Piece must contain Bone, it should be dark meat and must have a skin portion.
2. 20% Red meat (Among this 20%,15% can be Ground Beef and 5% can be the Beef Heart)
3. 5% Canned Pumpkin, Whole Grains, Fruits, etc…

Costs of Owning a Sphynx Cat

Sphynx Cats are considered as one of the most expensive breeds …But Hold on, the maintenance costs are also quite high. There are a lot of regular health checkups you need to do, and also you need to invest in High-Quality diets and other products and accessories. Sphynx Cats need more attention and as a result, you need to invest a little more than a normal cat. Below, we have given a Rough Idea about how much will it cost to own a Sphynx Kitten and Adult Sphynx. Note that, these are the rough estimates, the costs can vary depending upon various factors.

Costs for a Sphynx Kitten

Costs for an Adult Sphynx

There are some regular health checkups and medical tests you need to perform . You can visit this website to know more about those medical tests and their approximate costs.

Where to Buy the Sphynx Cat?

If you want to take the responsibility and afford the ongoing costs for Sphynx Cat, then you can go for it. Remember one thing, Sphynx Cats are quite different from other Furry Felines in terms of their personality, needs. Their Vet Bills are also often more because they are less resistant to diseases.

If you have decided that you will own Sphynx Cat, then you have to do some research to find some Certified Sphynx Breeders in your locality or outside. You can check out the official TICA Website which lists reputable breeders by state. Please avoid buying from someone from Instagram, Craiglist who has posted nice pictures because there are a lot of fake breeders and scammers out there. As Sphynx Breed are quite rare and their costs are quite high, so always Look before you Leap. Sphynx Breeder Fraud is rampant and even organizations like TICA and CFA don’t enforce the General Breed standards and complete guidelines that a breeder must adhere to.

So, we will always recommend you to meet the breeder in real life and ask for necessary health checkup reports, Blood groups, etc… Breeders should provide and sign a legal contract and also ask them for Genetic/Congenital Defect Health Guarantees (It depends on the cattery, generally it varies from 1 year to Lifetime)

Are Sphynx Cats Worth the Cost?

See, It depends on person to person. If you are ready to invest a handsome amount and can afford all the costs mentioned earlier, you can definitely go for it. Sphynx Cats are very much energetic, Cuddly, sweetest cats and they are unique and different from other Furry Felines.

They need special raw diet and more protein-rich Diet than other Breeds. So their food costs are tentatively higher. There are many other special diets made for Hairless Cat Breeds like Sphynx, which are a little bit costly. Every year, you need to perform an HCM test, a genetic Heart problem that can occur anytime in their lifetime. The sooner it is detected, is better for your adorable Feline.

Also, these cats need a high amount of Lysine (Amino acid)in their diet, Raw is good, High quality canned food would be the best for them. Some of the Sphynx cats suffer from eye infections too due to Feline Herpes Virus which is prevalent in this breed. So, that means you need to visit an animal opthalmologist too. That means costs will add up.

People don’t do this type of serious homework before purchasing Sphynx . They often thought that costs will be similar to other breeds. Apart from that, everything is fine in this Breed. They are the sweetest, Loveable, and want your attention. Actually having this type of Cats will definitely be a Stress-buster.

So, if you think that you can take all the responsibilities mentioned above and badly want a hairless cat for adoption,then you can buy an adorable, Cute Sphynx Cat for yourself.